Dame ruled out for Kings-Blazers as Portland finally flies out originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
After plenty of uncertainty surrounding their flight to Sacramento, the Portland Trail Blazers will, indeed, arrive in time for their clash against the Kings at Golden 1 Center on Thursday night.
Portland will be missing four of its five main starters, however.
Damian Lillard (rest) and Jerami Grant (rest) were ruled out Thursday afternoon, joining fellow Trail Blazers starters Anfernee Simons (ankle sprain) and Jusuf Nurkić (calf strain) on the injury report. Portland also will be without reserve Justise Winslow (ankle), who hasn’t played since December.
The Trail Blazers spent several hours on their chartered plane Wednesday night until their flight was canceled around 10 p.m. PT due to snowstorm in the Portland area. The team arrived at the airport again Thursday morning at 9 a.m. but faced more delays until finally departing at 1:43 p.m. PT, per Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes.
The flight from Portland to Sacramento takes approximately 90 minutes, slotting the Trail Blazers’ arrival in California’s capital city around 3:15 p.m., less than four hours before the game tips off at Golden 1 Center.
Lillard, a seven-time NBA All-Star who also goes by his rapper name, Dame D.O.L.L.A., went viral Wednesday night for putting together a new rap song while Portland waited through the snowstorm in the charter plane.
Lillard will get two more chances to take on Sacramento this season, as the Trail Blazers and Kings are set to play two games in Portland on March 29 and March 31.
Hopefully the snow is cleared by then.